Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Emir of Ilorin, Dr Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, on Monday offered his blessings to the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying his support was based on the performance and good standing of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Speaking when leaders and members of the Kwara State APC visited his palace to present the party’s candidates for royal blessings, the Emir said he was impressed by the large turnout and described the governor as a man of virtue and achievement.
Led by the State APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, the delegation comprised top party chieftains and all APC candidates, including the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly and APC governorship candidate, Rt Hon Yakubu Salihu Danladi; the senatorial candidates; House of Representatives candidates; and House of Assembly flagbearers from across the state.
Addressing the delegation, the Emir commended Governor AbdulRazaq for his transformative programmes and prayed for his continued success in office, as well as the party’s success at the polls next year.
“The forecourt of my palace has been filled up with your supporters since the morning. Is today the voting day or have you only come for familiarisation? I pray to God that whatever steps taken by Sadauna Ngeri (Governor) shall be divinely blessed,” the Emir said.
“Whoever sees good things and chooses not to say so is insincere and mischievous. There is no hiding place for lies. Let’s call a spade a spade. What we are seeing on the ground is a reality. Whoever does good, let us acknowledge it. The Governor has performed well.
“Starting from Governor AbdulRazaq to the other candidates of the party, God will grant you all electoral success. May you not be put to shame.”
Speaking with journalists shortly after the visit, Danladi said democracy is an aggregation of interests and assured that efforts were already underway to unite all members of the party.
“By the grace of God, all of us will be guided, and we will jointly support Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to move Kwara and Nigeria forward,” he said while responding to questions about grievances expressed by some stakeholders.
“Where there is peace, there is development. Let us come to the round table and, by God’s grace, we will carry each and every one of them along. The APC is a big party and there are many positive things happening within it. The reconciliation committee has been set up, and I know it will do justice to the issues. Peace, as we are witnessing, will continue to reign in the APC and in Kwara.
“By the grace of God, 35-0 is assured and the APC will carry the day once again. We are seeing thousands of our members on the streets of Ilorin holding rallies for us. We are very happy, and we thank Kwarans for coming out en masse to support this administration and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. By His grace, what Kwarans have demonstrated yesterday and today is what they will demonstrate again in 2027.”
Earlier, Prince Fagbemi informed the Emir of the processes that led to the emergence of the party’s candidates, stating that the primaries were conducted by the party’s National Headquarters in accordance with its guidelines.
He formally presented the candidates to the Emir and sought his support and royal blessings for their success in the 2027 general elections.